Temet Nosce
by DramaLexy
Summary: Being part of a family isn't always easy. Especially the one that resides in the Old City Sanctuary. 3rd in my series following 'Starting Over Backwards' and 'That Which Doesn't Kill Us'.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: Temet Nosce (Know Thyself)**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned them... Eh, we won't go there. I don't. So don't sue.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Story three in my series. Reading 'Starting Over Backwards' and 'That Which Doesn't Kill Us' first will make you less confused. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.**

* * *

><p>Nothing made Henry Foss happier than being elbow-deep in a project for the Sanctuary. His task for the day was upgrading the servers and everything was going great. Normally, Murphy's Law dictated that something would go horribly wrong while things were being set up – an escaped resident or an emergency with some other system in the house – but today had been very uneventful so far. He was a couple hours ahead of the schedule that he'd given his boss, Helen Magnus, and would enjoy getting to surprise her with that news. Then he would have a bit of free time before evening rounds to work on a special little side project…<p>

As he reached for a screwdriver on the workbench beside him, Henry was momentarily surprised to see a pair of little eyes watching him from around the table's leg. Two-and-a-half-year-old James Druitt giggled when he realized that he'd been caught spying.

"Oh, jeez, kid. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Henry asked as he stood up and went to get James. The toddler shrieked and laughed as he tried to run, but his little legs were no match for the tech expert's. James giggled hysterically as Henry picked him up and tickled him.

Will Zimmerman entered the computer lab and rolled his eyes when he saw the two of them. "THERE he is," he commented.

"The little monster ran off on you?" Henry asked as he held the still-giggling James upside down over his shoulder.

"That he did. Magnus asked me to watch him while she's doing an autopsy. I turned my back for one second…"

Henry nodded. "Yeah, that's about all it takes for this one. Why would he want to hang out in your boring office when he knows that I've got all this cool stuff to play with? Hey, James, you want to see my new stunner?"

James' vocabulary was full of words that most parents wouldn't dream of their two-year-old understanding. However, most two-year-olds didn't grow up in a haven for the creatures that go bump in the night. The little boy's eyes lit up at the mention of a 'stunner'. "Yeah!" he cried.

"You had better not have untested weapons powered anywhere near my son," Helen told Henry as she joined them. She was still wearing scrubs from her work in the medical lab.

"Uh, no, of course not," Henry agreed as he handed over her child. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"I thought you were keeping James in your office?" Helen asked Will.

"Um, yeah…but he was kinda restless, so we went for a walk."

She gave her protégé a knowing look. "Right." Helen then turned to Henry. "How are things coming along in here?"

"We're looking good. Access to records will be down for a couple minutes while I do the transfer, but no problems so far." He looked around for some wood to knock on, and finally just settled for using his own head. "I'll warn you before I bring everything down."

Helen smiled. "Thank you. Did you finish preparing the unit in the SHU for our new intake? Ashley should be here soon."

Henry nodded. "Yeah, everything's all set."

"It'll be good to have Ashley back," Will commented.

Helen nodded. "It will indeed." Her daughter had been in Australia for the past seven weeks, helping the team at the Sydney Sanctuary to research, track, and capture an abnormal. Things around the Old City Sanctuary had been very different without her. Everyone missed her, especially her mother. Since Ashley's 'return from the dead' nearly three years earlier, she hadn't ever been gone for so long. Helen would have been perfectly happy if she decided to never take such a lengthy trip again.

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><p>Two hours later, Helen was going through paperwork in her office when she saw on the video system that the cargo van had pulled into the estate. "Let's go say hello to your sister," she told James as she retrieved him from his play area in the corner.<p>

John and Will had beat her to the main foyer; as Helen came down the stairs, the two men were already exchanging hugs with Ashley. "Welcome home," she told her daughter.

"Thank you. It is so good to be here. Hey, little prince!" she exclaimed as she reached for her brother. James eagerly went into her arms.

The front door opened again and a tall, brown-haired man came inside. "It's good to see you again, Ethan," Helen told him.

Dr. Ethan McLeod smiled as he shook her hand. "Likewise, Dr. Magnus." The handsome Australian xenobiologist had accompanied Ashley to Old City since their cargo was part of his research at the Sydney Sanctuary.

"How was your journey?"

"Really, really long," Ashley cut in before Ethan had a chance to say anything. "What day is it here? I'm not even sure anymore. I want the world's longest hot shower and some food and then maybe I'll feel like a human being again."

Ethan chuckled. "That about sums it up," he told Helen.

"Well, dinner should be served in about an hour, so you both have time to freshen up."

"The Big Guy's working on getting the van unloaded…but he could probably use some help," Ashley sheepishly told her mother.

She nodded. "I'll take care of it. Can you please show Ethan to one of the guest rooms when you go upstairs?"

"Of course. Come on." She set James on his feet and both she and Ethan picked up their bags before heading upstairs.

"I'll be in the garage," Helen told John.

"Do you need help?"

"I think we can manage, thank you."

Will just smiled as his boss left. "Like a kid on Christmas morning," he commented. "She can't wait to see what Santa brought."

"Mmm."

The elevator bell sounded as it reached the ground floor. Henry stepped off and looked around. "Where's Ashley?" he asked the two other men when he saw they were alone.

"Upstairs, settling in," John told him.

"Aw, she couldn't wait two seconds for me to say hi?"

Will laughed. "You don't wanna get between that girl and her shower." Henry rolled his eyes and headed for the staircase.

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><p>Ashley and Ethan walked down the hallway in the living quarters. "This place is incredible," he told her as he looked around.<p>

"Mom always says that anything worth doing is worth doing right," she told him with a smile before opening one of the doors. "Oh, good, it is set up," she commented when she saw that the bed had been made. "You like it? You've got a view of the courtyard."

"Anything with a mattress will do," he replied with a grin.

"Wanna know the best part?" Ashley asked. She stepped back into the corridor and opened the door on the other side of the hall. "My room's right here."

Ethan's smile widened as he joined her in the hallway. "Well, then I like this room even more."

Ashley stood on her toes and kissed him. "Come get me before you go downstairs?" she requested.

"Of course." As they parted to their respective suites, neither noticed that someone was standing at the end of the hallway. Henry was frozen in surprise from what he'd seen.

_Ashley's involved with this guy? Since when?_

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><p>TBC...<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Normally, dinner in the Sanctuary was eaten in shifts whenever everyone got a chance. Perhaps sometimes a few of them would gather around the table in the kitchen to eat together if their schedules allowed it. But since that night was a special occasion, they used the main dining room and everyone was present by six… or slightly thereafter.

"Sorry," Will apologized to Helen for his tardiness as he was the last one to slip into his seat. "But at least I finally finished that stack of reports that you put on my desk."

"I have a couple more for you," she told him with a mischievous smile.

Will groaned. "I swear you hold a few things back every time, just so I'm never done."

"Hey, Boss, I think he's on to you," Henry told Helen, who laughed.

"I do no such thing!" she protested.

Most of the meal was spent with Ashley telling stories of their hunt in Australia and the others filling her in on what had been happening around Old City. After coffee and desserts had been brought out, Helen realized that their guest had been pretty quiet. "So, Ethan, I heard that you just started a study on the _Chelonia_ _Regiorum_?" she asked. They were very large turtle-like abnormals found in the South Pacific Ocean.

He nodded. "The first major project that I'm doing myself. I think I may finally be on the verge of shedding my 'newbie' status." Everyone laughed. Ethan had been added to the Sydney Sanctuary's staff about a year earlier, almost directly out of medical school. The facility's leader was notorious for putting new hires through extensive trials before he fully trusted them. "It's a year-long observation of how climate change has affected the _C. Regiorum_'s underwater habitat. I'm comparing the data to the project that you and Dr. Miller did fifty years ago."

Helen smiled. "I look forward to seeing your results. Their numbers have been dwindling at an alarming rate over the last decade."

"Ethan's designing a habitat for them at the Sydney Sanctuary," Ashley told her mother.

"It's just preliminary plans," he corrected her. "I'm hoping it won't be needed, but I want to be able to save them from extinction if it comes to it."

John looked between his daughter and the doctor. He'd noticed when they all came into the room that Ashley had quickly ended up sitting at Ethan's side instead of taking a seat next to her mother or brother. She and Ethan had had a couple hushed side conversations while they ate; John could read between the lines. "What else were the two of you working on in Sydney?" he asked with an amused smile.

Ashley narrowed her eyes at her father. "What?" He merely shrugged. "Most of our time went into finding the sand dude that's in the SHU. Or working with the Reggies."

"The what?" Helen asked, confused.

"_Chelonia Regiorum_ takes too long to say."

"She had nicknames for just about everything in the Sanctuary," Ethan commented with a smile.

"The same's true here," Will told him.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think I'm going to go get James ready for bed. I've missed being able to do that. You want to go get a bath and read stories, Little Prince?" she asked him.

"Yay!"

Ethan also got up from the table. "I'd like to go check on 'the sand dude,' as Ashley put it. Make sure there are no ill effects from the tranquilizers. Thank you for the wonderful meal, Dr. Magnus."

* * *

><p>Once things were taken care of in the dining room and kitchen, Helen headed downstairs for evening rounds. At one point as she moved through the hallways to check on the residents, John fell into step beside her.<p>

"Dinner was nice," he commented.

"It was," she agreed. "I haven't had much of a chance to get to know Ethan since Caleb hired him last year. He seems like a very good addition to the Network."

"Mmm. Do you have room on your staff here for another doctor?"

Helen stopped walking and turned to her husband, confused. "What?"

John grinned. "Well, I didn't think you were going to let him take Ashley back to Australia…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't notice?"

"Notice what?"

"I believe Dr. McLeod is smitten with our daughter, and I'm quite sure she feels the same."

Helen's eyes went large. "What? No, you must have misunderstood."

He raised an eyebrow. "This can't be the first time that Ashley's brought a boyfriend home?"

"Well, no, but the term 'boyfriend' has always been applied loosely. She had a few little flings when she was in school, but… our world doesn't easily mesh with the one that most people know."

"I know. It appears she's found a solution for that."

Helen nodded. "Indeed. From the other side of the planet."

"Well, if she were to go back to Australia – and I'm not saying she will," he added when it looked like his wife was going to protest, "At least she can easily pop back to visit as often as she likes."

A year earlier, Helen had managed to devise a treatment for John and Ashley that allowed them to teleport without the concern of picking up any creatures that could affect their minds. They generally didn't bring anyone along with them unless it was an emergency, and they had regular scans to be sure they were still okay, but so far there hadn't been any problems. So, it was true that Ashley would be capable of instantaneously traveling from Sydney to Old City and back whenever she wanted, but that fact didn't make Helen feel any better.

"I know our daughter," she told John as she began walking again. "This…whatever you want to call it was just something that happened during her trip. She's not going back to Australia."

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><p>As Ashley walked into the main lab the next day, she smiled to see that Ethan was working on one of the computers. "Good morning," she told him.<p>

He checked his watch. "It's not morning anymore. Is this jet lag, or are you returning to your normal sleeping habits?"

She smiled. "A little of both, probably. How's Sandy adjusting to his new home?"

"Seems like he's doing fine. And also has jet lag." They both laughed. "I wish we could have kept him in Sydney."

"The facility's almost at max capacity," Ashley reminded him. "You guys are resourceful and all, but there's no way you could have quickly made a big enough habitat for him."

"I know. I just would love to be the one who gets to keep learning from him."

"You've got your own project waiting for you."

"Yeah… or waiting for us," he quietly added. Ashley looked away. "When were you planning on telling your parents about us?"

"I don't know. I think my dad already suspects… I got used to keeping things a secret in Sydney; I kind of liked it. It was all about us."

"It can't stay a secret forever."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I've got to say, I'm a little afraid of your father. I mean, I know that's a normal reaction for a guy, but… you don't have a normal family."

Ashley laughed. "Not even close! But you really don't have to worry about my dad. He's bark instead of bite – these days, at least."

"Mmm. And your mum? Am I going to piss off the boss when she finds out?"

"The boss has already found out," Helen told him. They both spun around to find her standing in the doorway.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

"And your mum? Am I going to piss off the boss when she finds out about us?"

"The boss has already found out," Helen's voice came from the doorway. Ashley and Ethan both turned around. "How long has this been going on?"

The couple exchanged a look. "I don't know," Ashley told her mother. "I guess we just... clicked when we met. It sounds stupid, I know, but…"

"I'm sorry we didn't say anything, Dr. Magnus," Ethan added.

"Yeah, Mom. I guess I just didn't know how to say it. But I was going to tell you."

"How… serious is this?" Helen asked.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "No offense, but you're really not the person to give me a lecture about sex before marriage."

The look that the women shared spoke volumes. "That wasn't my intention," Helen finally said, "But I think that the two of us should talk."

"Okay, I'm not disagreeing. I just wasn't sure what the right time was."

"It was definitely sometime before now, so that I don't end up looking like a bloody idiot."

Ashley frowned. She'd expected that her mother would be a little thrown, but not that she'd be angry. "I'm sorry, okay? Are you all right?"

Helen shook her head dismissively. "I'm fine. We should continue this later; I have work I need to take care of."

Once Helen was gone, Ashley sighed. "Well, that sucked."

"I told you that you should have told her before we came," Ethan pointed out.

"Yeah, thanks, rub that in now."

He took her hand and pulled her over for a kiss. "Give her a bit. Your mum doesn't seem like the kind of woman who likes surprises."

"Yeah, that's the truth."

They both looked up as Henry came into the lab, and Ashley pulled her hand from Ethan's grip. "What's up?" she asked her friend.

"Uh, Ernie's got some new stuff in. I told him you were back and he thought you'd be interested in his 'special merchandise'."

"Does it shoot things or blow them up?"

"Does it matter?"

Ashley grinned. "Not really. Sounds like a good time. You want to come?" she asked Ethan.

"No, I should finish up here. Go on."

"Do I have time to grab breakfast before we go?" Ashley asked Henry as they headed for the elevator. He looked at his watch.

"Breakfast? It's two in the afternoon!"

"So?"

* * *

><p>Once they were in the van and driving across the city, Henry decided to address the elephant in the room. "So… what's up with you and the Aussie?"<p>

Ashley looked away from the window. "What do you mean?"

Henry frowned; he was certain she knew EXACTLY what he meant. "Well, I saw the two of you in the hall yesterday. Are you, ya know, going out with him?"

She shrugged. "We haven't really had dates. Like I said, we were busy with work in Sydney."

"But you are in a relationship?" he persisted. "Or whatever you want to call it?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He hadn't expected that getting information out of her would be this difficult. "So, when did that happen?"

"I don't know. It started off as just talking a lot late at night and then… Nevermind. I guess it started soon after I got there."

"And you didn't say anything?"

She shook her head. "No, not to anyone. Here or there."

Henry sighed. He hadn't heard what he was looking for – some kind of acknowledgment that she SHOULD have said something – and her resistance to talk about it was only increasing his frustration. "Whatever," he quietly mumbled under his breath. Ashley didn't hear, and the topic was effectively dropped.

They parked on Hangman's bridge beside Eddie's van. "Welcome back, Ash!" He said as they got out of the vehicle. "I gotta tell you, I've missed you. This guy just doesn't appreciate my better acquisitions."

"Why buy when I can make myself?" Henry asked. "And usually, for a way lower price."

"And a slightly higher risk of something going boom," Ashley ribbed him. "So, Ernie, what have you got for me?"

"You'll love it. I got my normal spread of guns, if that's what you're in the market for, but this," he pulled a box out of the back, "This I heard about and thought of you." He tipped the lid open to reveal the explosives inside.

Ashley grinned. "Oh, Ernie, you shouldn't have."

* * *

><p>Ethan was headed back to his suite when there was a flash of light and sudden breeze in the hallway. John materialized directly in front of him, badly scaring the younger man.<p>

"Bugger!" he exclaimed as he stepped back. John just smiled. Ethan wasn't short, but John was still taller. And highly intimidating. "Was there something you needed?"

"I felt it was my duty to have a little chat with you, Dr. McLeod."

Ethan could easily see where this was going. "Mr. Druitt – "

"You can call me John."

"I think I'd better not. I assume you're also not pleased that nothing was said earlier about my relationship with Ashley, and I apologize for that."

"Given that we are HER parents, I would say that that was more her responsibility than yours, don't you think?"

He decided that was rhetorical. "I just want you to know that I do genuinely care about her and I hope that you can accept that. If not now, then maybe once you've gotten to know me better."

John simply let him stammer on with a little grin on his face. Once the other man stopped to breathe, he asked, "I assume my daughter has told you about my past?"

"Um, yes, she has."

"Good. Know that if you hurt her, no one will find your body. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes."

"Excellent. Now, would you care to join me in the media room? There's a football match on, Manchester United vs. Chelsea."

"Uh, sure."

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

When Ashley returned to the estate, she headed upstairs to the living quarters. Ethan's door was open and she knocked on the frame. He looked up from his laptop screen. "Hi."

"Hey."

"How was your shopping trip?" he asked as she sat beside him on his bed.

"Excellent. Mom may or may not agree when she sees the bill, but… new toys are always nice." Ethan smiled. "What have you been up to?"

"Just going through e-mail right now. I watched a football match with your father earlier."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "You what?"

"Man U beat Chelsea."

"You're not joking."

"No, I'm not. I think it was supposed to be a test of some sort. I'm not sure if I passed."

Ashley smiled. "I'm sure you did. I told you that you didn't really have to worry about my dad."

"Mmm… I was wondering: now that your parents know about us, have you given any thought as to whether you're going to come back with me? I was planning on leaving in a couple days."

Ashley sighed. "Yeah, I've thought about it. Having an answer is another story. I don't know. Being away from everyone for the past couple of months has been hard. I've missed my parents and my brother, especially. But I know that being away from you would be hard, too. I know that I could pop back and forth easier than most people, but there's still risks to teleportation. I ought to be living in one place and visiting the other, not trying to do 50/50 or something."

"I understand that you've got a lot to balance. I'll do my best to be patient, I just… I don't want to leave without you."

"I know. I promise I'm trying to figure it out."

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><p>That night, Will brought James along as he did rounds in the Sanctuary. Everyone else on the staff was busy with their own rounds or projects and some of the toddler's favorite residents were on his list for the evening, including the Nubbins.<p>

"Hi! Hi!" James happily said to each of the little creatures as he stood at the glass, smiling and making faces at them. Will chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Are they talking back?" he asked James.

"Mmm-hmm. We playing."

Will verified the temperature for their enclosure, and then checked on the residents in the neighboring habitats. Everyone had gotten their dinners and was doing well. "Okay, buddy, it's time for us to head back," he told James.

The toddler pouted. "Don't want to."

"Well, we're going anyway. You gotta get a bath and go to bed."

James shook his head. "No."

Will sighed. "Come on, little man, I don't have time for this. Someone can bring you back tomorrow if you want to visit again." He started to reach for James to pick him up, but the little boy dodged him. "James, stop it. Come on."

This time, when he picked the toddler up, he started screaming. And squirming and kicking. Will put him back down before he dropped him. "Hey, what's the matter with you?" He didn't think he'd ever heard of James throwing a tantrum before; normally he was very quiet and well behaved. Most everyone in the house considered him to be an angel.

"Did you decide that NOW you're going to hit the terrible twos?" Will muttered. "Come on, James, stop." But the little boy continued to scream and stomp as tears flowed down his face. When Will tried to pick him up again, James grabbed the frame around the window in his little hands.

The sound of James screaming was starting to feel like a spike through Will's head and his patience was wearing thin. He decided to resort to desperate measures. "If you let go, I'll give you a cookie when we get upstairs," he bribed. It was to no avail. He tried to use one hand to pull James' fingers away, but that meant he had to let go of the little boy's legs. James got in one good kick to his knee that almost sent them both to the floor. "Ow! Damnit, cut it out!" Will yelled.

And absolutely stunned, James actually stopped. Will had never yelled or cursed at him before. He stayed completely still, wide-eyed, as he got put back down on the floor.

John came around the corner a moment later. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he asked the other man as he reached for his son.

Will stepped back. "I'm sorry, I don't… I didn't mean to do that."

John looked James over. "I could hear him screaming from halfway back to the main lab."

"He just started doing it. I was going to take him upstairs but he didn't want to go and he just… I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry. James, I'm sorry." The toddler laid his head on his father's shoulder as he sucked on his thumb. His eyes were still red and his face was wet from crying.

John noticed that Will was rubbing his knee. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, he… nevermind. I'm really sorry. It's been a long day and I still have a lot to do and I've got a headache that's starting to drive me nuts, but that's no excuse."

John sighed. "Go back to your office. I'll take care of James."

* * *

><p>Once James had been bathed, dressed in his pajamas, and put to bed – all without much fuss – John went looking for Helen to talk to her about what had happened. They often relied on other members of her staff to look after James, but perhaps that needed to change. It wasn't part of their job descriptions and maybe everyone was getting spread too thin.<p>

John passed the Big Guy in the foyer. "Have you seen Helen?" he asked the Sasquatch.

"She should be in the main lab," he replied. "Has a video con with the other Sanctuary Heads."

He frowned. "I just looked at the surveillance feed. There isn't anyone in the main lab."

Big Guy shrugged. "Maybe the time changed."

John doubted that. Setting up conferences across time zones was never easy, so they rarely got moved unless something big happened. "Thanks," he said. "I'll keep looking."

After taking a second look at the surveillance feeds for the underground facilities and looking through the living quarters, John finally thought of checking the roof. Sure enough, when he came up the steps, he found his wife sitting at the wall, looking out at New City. "You can be a very difficult person to find," he told her.

"And yet, you managed."

"Eventually. Was your video conference cancelled?"

Helen frowned. "Video conference?"

"Your manservant said that you were supposed to be in a call with the other Heads of House."

She looked down at her watch. "It slipped my mind."

John raised an eyebrow. He couldn't remember anything like that ever slipping her mind before. Helen was extremely organized and very careful about her schedule. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I guess I should get down to the lab." She brushed past him and headed down the staircase back into the house.

John leaned against the wall and watched her go. His reason for looking for her in the first place was now forgotten in place of new worries. It was surprising enough that she'd forgotten about the meeting, but her lack of concern about it had made him very concerned.

_She probably needs more rest,_ he thought. He was pretty sure she hadn't slept in the past couple of days. _I'll make sure she goes to bed tonight, even if I have to carry her._

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Ashley spent most of the following morning playing outside with her little brother. James had a little tricycle that he loved to ride up and down the driveway and a swing had been hung under one of the trees. By the time they got back inside, got cleaned up, and had lunch, it was almost James' naptime. But he definitely wasn't ready to go to sleep.

"No, no, no!" he cried as Ashley tried to put him down in his crib. He had a death grip on the collar of her shirt with both hands.

"I'm not going anywhere, Little Prince. I'll stay until you go to sleep. We can even read a story if it's a short one." But he wasn't appeased. "Come on, buddy, you gotta lay down for me." Ashley finally managed to pry his fingers off, but James instantly stood up in his crib and was reaching for her as alligator tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Lee," he whimpered his nickname for her. "Lee! Lee!"

"I'm right here," she promised as she sat in the rocking chair by his crib. "Lay down, James."

"No!"

She looked around for his favorite stuffed animals, a dog and a bear. "Here, hold on to these guys, okay?" she told him as she tried to give him the toys. He batted them both away and went back to reaching for her. Ashley was starting to get worried.

"Are you sick?" she asked. "Is that what's going on?" She felt his forehead, but it didn't seem like he had a fever. "You are never this uncooperative," she told her brother. "What's up with you today?"

* * *

><p>After two more attempts to get James to lay down, Ashley finally gave up. She picked her brother up again and headed down the hallway toward her mother's office. Surely Helen would know what to do for him, or if something was really wrong. "We're gonna go find Mommy, okay?" she murmured to James. "She'll make everything better."<p>

But Helen's office was empty. Ashley saw Will pass by in the corridor and stopped him. "Have you seen my mom?"

"Yeah. She's going to be busy for a while."

"What happened?"

He sighed and looked away. "During morning rounds, we found out… we lost Fred."

Ashley was stunned. Fred was a lizard-creature that had been living in the Sanctuary almost all of her life. "What do you mean? He's… he can't be dead." Will didn't respond. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet. Magnus and Ethan are looking into it. You want me to tell her something when I go down there?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll take care of it."

* * *

><p>It took some time, but James finally wore himself out from crying and fighting. He ended up falling asleep in Ashley's arms while she sat in the rocking chair in his room. After making sure he really was sound asleep, she carefully transferred him into his crib, gave him his stuffed dog, and tucked him in. "Sweet dreams, Little Prince," she whispered before leaving the room.<p>

She headed for the elevator in order to go downstairs and find out what was happening. When the door opened, she and Henry almost collided as he got off.

"Sorry," she told him.

"Yeah, me, too."

"Have you heard anything about Fred?"

Henry shook his head. "The Boss had me and Biggie checking on everyone else."

"Are they all okay?"

"Yeah. A few seemed a bit restless, but given the circumstances... Everybody's okay. Or I guess I should say 'so far,' since we have no idea what happened."

Ashley nodded as she got on the elevator. "Thanks, I'll go find Ethan and ask him."

"Yeah, go find Mr. Perfect," Henry tossed over his shoulder as he walked away. Ashley stepped back into the hallway.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, DOCTOR Perfect."

She cocked her head in confusion. "Okay, where did that come from? Did something happen with the two of you?"

Henry shrugged. "My only problem with him is you."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Ashley frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, I understand why you might not have wanted to tell your parents about the two of you right away, but what about me?"

"What about you?" she asked. That seemed to be the wrong thing to say; it only got him more upset.

"The two of us have grown up together. You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a little sister and I thought that we always shared everything. Obviously, I was wrong."

"Henry – "

"You could have at least sent me a stupid e-mail. 'Hey, Henry, Sydney's great. By the way, I met a guy.' That's all I was looking for!"

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't say anything to you. I guess I just… Everything in this house is always shared. Especially the past few years, it's like my life has been a group project. I liked having something that I did on my own and was just mine instead of being everyone's, you know?"

He shrugged. "Whatever. I'm done; I don't care anymore. Dealing with you is making my head hurt." And with that, he walked away toward his room. Ashley flinched when she heard his door slam shut behind him.

After taking a moment, she got on the elevator and pushed the button for the main lab. In all the years that she'd known Henry, they'd never had a fight like that. Squabbles, sure – after all, they HAD grown up like siblings – but that… she wasn't sure how to fix that. If he didn't even want to hear her apology, she wasn't sure what else there was to do.

* * *

><p>Ashley found Ethan down in one of the surgical suites, doing an autopsy. She felt tears come to her eyes as she saw Fred lying on the table. Her mother had always told her that he was probably the last of his kind. Now they were extinct. Life could be so incredibly fragile.<p>

"How's it going?" she quietly asked.

"About as good as it looks," Ethan replied.

"Why are you doing this instead of my mother?"

His annoyance was clear in his voice: "I wasn't told and I decided not to ask."

Ashley's tears spilled. "You know, I really don't need another person jumping down my throat right now."

Ethan looked up. "I'm sorry. This… this is one of the parts of the job that I hate the most. Who else has been jumping down your throat?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter… I've been thinking about what I'm going to do. Maybe spending some more time away from here would be good for everyone."

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback I've gotten so far! It always makes my day.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ashley knew that telling Ethan that she was leaving was the easy part. The hard part would be telling her mother. Like a true prince, he offered to come with her, but she knew that this conversation was something she needed to do on her own. That evening, she went to find Helen in her office.

"Mom?" she asked as she stood in the doorway. Helen looked up from what she was holding, and Ashley noticed it was a bottle of aspirin. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine; I just have a bit of a headache."

Ashley didn't think that she'd ever seen her mother take pain medication for anything less serious than wounds that required surgery. "It must be pretty bad."

"I said I'm fine," she shot. "Did you need something?"

This wasn't exactly how she had wanted the conversation to start, but she couldn't turn back now. "Um, yeah. Ethan's going back to Sydney tomorrow… and I want to go with him."

Helen's head shot up, her eyes hard. "Absolutely not."

"Mom – "

"You're needed here."

"You've been managing without me for the past two months."

Helen raised an eyebrow. "So that makes it all right for you to run out on your responsibilities?"

"I'm not running out on my responsibilities! I'll have plenty of new ones in Australia. Including helping Ethan with that study you wanted to see the results of."

"He doesn't need your help."

"He wants it. And I'd like to give it."

Helen shook her head. "No. Your place is here. In case you've forgotten, you're still under both my and Will's medical care."

"I haven't had a session with Will in six months, Mom. And Ethan's seen my file; I'm sure he can handle pretty much anything that could come up. And if he can't, we both know that I can get back here to see you pretty damn quick." Helen didn't respond. "Look, I'm not a little kid anymore, and I'm not as fragile as I have been. I can handle this."

"And who's going to be there to help you the next time you recklessly go headlong into some situation and end up as a threat to everyone around you?"

Ashley froze, stunned that her mother had actually said that. "I…I can't believe…" She sniffed and hastily wiped her eyes. "There's no point to me being alive if I can't make choices for myself. I know there's a risk, with everything I do, but that's true for all of us. You can't keep me locked up in the castle, not anymore." And with that, she stormed out.

* * *

><p>After taking a little time to cool off with a punching bag in the fitness room, Ashley headed downstairs to find her father. She didn't think anyone else would understand the significance of that argument like he would. They sat in the kitchen together and he quietly listened while the whole story came out.<p>

"Obviously we've had disagreements over the years," she told him. "Both personal and professional. But that… she knew how much saying that would affect me. And she didn't even care."

"I've been a bit concerned about your mother," he confessed. "I think the stress of things is affecting her."

"Stress never affects her."

"I know. I'm not sure what's happened. I'm going to talk to her, all right? Perhaps she needs to have some scans done."

Ashley frowned. "You think there's something wrong with her?"

"I don't know. Can you go get your brother ready for bed?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Dad." He smiled.

* * *

><p>On the way upstairs, John thought over what he was going to say to his wife. If there really was a problem, he knew that Helen wouldn't appreciate his suggestion that she get checked out. Convincing her likely wouldn't be easy, but he was prepared to bring in Will, Ethan, or anyone else that he had to. Enough was enough; he was starting to really get worried.<p>

Helen was still in her office, working on her computer. John closed the door behind him once he entered the room; this didn't need to be a public discussion.

"What is it?" she asked when she noticed him.

"I heard you had a bit of a row with Ashley?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course she instantly went running to you."

John had had trouble believing his daughter's claim that Helen had no remorse for her earlier comment, but now his doubt was beginning to be removed. "She's worried," he informed her. "And hurt."

Helen dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "It's not your concern."

John raised an eyebrow. "It isn't?"

"No."

"She's my daughter, too."

She looked up, her blue eyes darkened with anger. "You think you can step in now like you know anything about us? Like you've been here all along? I am the one who raised her. I'm the one who was REALLY a parent to her."

He was surprised by the venom in that statement, but it only strengthened his resolve to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. "I know that I wasn't there. I don't pretend to understand everything you've gone through. Right now, I'm just trying to help our family as a whole."

Helen scoffed as she got up from her chair and rounded her desk. "You've never wanted to help me. You hid behind me and manipulated me. You took pleasure in seeing me in pain and you worked endlessly to find the most creative ways to cause more of it."

That was unexpected. John had privately harbored a lot of guilt over the past few years for what he had done in the century before. It didn't matter that he hadn't really been in control of himself; he'd still badly hurt the people that he loved. There was no way to change or fix that. He'd never thought that Helen would throw those feelings in his face.

"I-I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am."

"Spare me," she cut him off as she turned away from him. "There isn't an apology for what you've done. You couldn't – " Helen suddenly stopped, and remained motionless for a moment before she collapsed to the floor. John tried to catch her, and was just barely able to slow her descent. He then stared in horror as she began to convulse.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

In a flash of red light, John appeared in the infirmary with Helen in his arms. He carefully put her down on one of the beds, and then went for the intercom.

"I need help in the infirmary," he called. "It's Helen."

"What happened?" Will asked a few moments later via the speaker.

"She started seizing."

"I'll be right there."

John went back to his wife's side and held her hand as the tremors began to fade. "Hold on, my love," he whispered to her. "You'll be all right. Just hold on."

Will and Ethan ran into the room a couple minutes later. "Is she breathing?" was the Australian doctor's first question. John nodded. His second concern was, "How long did the seizure last?"

"I'm not sure. A minute, maybe two?"

Will grabbed a penlight and checked her eyes. "What happened before this started?"

John looked down. "We were talking… arguing."

The psychiatrist frowned. "About what?"

"The past. What's wrong with her?"

"We're not sure yet," Ethan replied. "We're going to draw some blood and run a few tests. We'll know more soon."

* * *

><p>Once they had the samples they needed and the machines were working away, Will took a moment to simply stop and watch his boss lying prone on the bed. "I really hate seeing her like this," he quietly commented. It wasn't often that Helen ended up as the patient instead of the doctor, but it was extremely unnerving every single time. "She's supposed to always be up and about, running this place like a symphony orchestra conductor."<p>

Ethan smiled. "I had the exact same impression of her the first time that I met her. There was a meeting with the Pacific Heads of House in Sydney, not long after I started. She was running the gathering, of course, and we had a rescue going on that she also took part in. And she was still keeping tabs on the happenings here in Old City. And looking after the Nigerian facility; they'd just gotten a new Head of House."

Will chuckled. "Yep, that sounds like Magnus. Keeping up with her ought to be designated as an Olympic event." Ethan nodded.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Will, Henry, John, Ashley, Ethan, and the Big Guy were gathered together in the medical lab, looking over Helen's test results. She was still unconscious on a bed in one of the exam rooms.<p>

"What the hell is that?" Ashley asked as Ethan pulled up an image on a screen.

"A sample of Dr. Magnus's blood," he replied. "She's been infected by parasites. Her immune system was absolutely no match, and they've broken the blood-brain barrier. It looks like they're mainly going after the central nervous system; the effects would include heightened aggression and reduced reasoning abilities."

John and Ashley shared a look. "That explains a lot," he quietly commented.

"Her intracranial pressure is elevated," Will added, "Which can lead to nausea and headaches."

"She was taking aspirin earlier," Ashley told him.

"Wait," Henry spoke up, his eyes wide. "I've had a headache off and on for the past two days. More on than off."

Will and Ethan looked at him, then each other. "So have I," they both replied in unison.

Ashley frowned at Ethan. "You didn't say anything to me about it."

He shrugged. "I thought it was just allergies from the new environment."

"So you're all infected, too?" John asked.

"Looks like it," Will agreed. "We'll have to do tests to be sure."

Ethan turned back to the computer and opened another file. "I hadn't had a chance to look at this yet," he told the others. "The autopsy results from earlier. I took blood samples." He pulled up the image; the blood cells looked markedly different but the parasites were the same.

"Oh, jeez," Henry whispered.

"The residents are infected, too," Will observed. "We have to go on lockdown."

"It can't be everyone," Ashley pointed out. "I haven't had any headaches and I don't think I've been acting any differently."

"Me either," John added. "Why are we immune?"

"It's possible that your physiology may make you less susceptible," Will replied. "The same could be true for other residents, but we can't take a chance of this spreading. We need to know who's sick, who's not, and hopefully figure out where this came from. Given that this started after you two arrived from Australia, we should contact the Sydney Sanctuary and tell them to lockdown as well."

"How long before we're all having convulsions on the floor?" Henry wondered aloud.

"There's no way to know for sure," Will replied. "It looks like different people are affected to different degrees."

"The teleportation treatment," Ethan suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Ashley asked.

"The medications that you're both on to protect you from parasitic entities that you could come in contact with when you teleport. Besides your abnormal abilities, it's the only thing I can think of that makes you different from everyone else in the Sanctuary. Perhaps that's why you're immune?"

"How does that help us?" John wondered.

"It can give me a base to begin working with in order to develop a treatment."

Will nodded. "Then we'll start with that. Everyone else, check on all of the residents. We noticed a few strange behaviors this morning; those are probably the ones who are now the sickest. We need blood samples to confirm the diagnosis. Stay in radio contact."

* * *

><p>Henry, Big Guy, Ashley, and John divided up the residents and headed off in pairs to check on everyone and get the samples that Will and Ethan needed.<p>

"I wish Ethan had told me about the headache," Ashley commented to her father as they walked the halls. "Maybe once I saw Mom, I would have realized sooner that something was wrong."

"I knew about Will," John countered. "If I'd heard about your mother… Well, there's nothing we can do to change it now."

"I know. I just keep thinking… this has already been fatal."

"Your mother is strong. She'll be all right."

"You don't know that."

"There's no other acceptable alternative."

Ashley suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Oh, God."

"What?"

"James. He's been really cranky, and I had no idea what was wrong with him. He's probably infected, too."

They both hurried back down the hall toward the elevators.

* * *

><p>Up in the living quarters, Ashley opened the door to her brother's room. He was in his crib, just as she'd left him over an hour earlier. Getting him to sleep that night had been a challenge, but had still been easier than getting him down for his nap earlier in the day.<p>

"Is he all right?" John asked as he joined her.

Ashley nodded as she reached to brush a lock of James' hair from his face. "Still sleeping. I guess if he's infected, rest is probably good for him, right?"

"Most likely."

As she reached to fix James' blanket, Ashley realized that something was wrong. Her little brother was TOO still. She couldn't even feel his chest rising and falling. And then she noticed that his lips were tinged blue. "Dad! He's not breathing!"

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

**A/N: I think that was the last cliffhanger... maybe... O:-)**


	8. Chapter 8

Will and Ethan were still in the infirmary and looked up in surprise as John and Ashley teleported into the room. John was holding his son and quickly moved to put him on one of the beds.

"He's stopped breathing," he informed the other two men. Ethan was at his side in an instant.

"I'm not getting a pulse," he reported to Will after checking. The other man quickly went to get a crash cart. Ethan opened the toddler's pajama shirt and grabbed the defibrillator's paddles while Will set the machine up.

"It's charged," the psychiatrist reported.

"Clear!" James' body jerked as the shock ran through him. "Nothing. We'll need to get him intubated." Will set the machine to charge again, then went to get supplies.

By the time he got back Ethan had administered a second shock, also with no effect. Will stood at the head of the bed and managed to thread the tube down the tiny boy's throat. He grabbed an ambubag and used it to force air into his lungs.

"Clear," Ethan told him before giving James a third shock. That time, a weak pulse registered on the monitors. Ashley and John finally started breathing again. "We're going to have to hook him up to a ventilator," Ethan told Will. "And I suspect a blood test to confirm a diagnosis is a waste of time we may not have right now."

"Do you have a way to treat him?" Ashley asked.

"We've got a cocktail of medications that should work. I took Dr. Magnus' treatment for the two of you and combined it with broad-spectrum antibiotics."

"The problem," Will cut in, "Is coming up with the right quantity for each of the many physiologies we're going to be dealing with."

"I think I have everything sorted for the staff and James," Ethan told them. "With a lot of the residents, things get a little more interesting."

"'Think' being the operative word," Will pointed out. "We don't have a lot of opportunities for testing this out. Especially for Magnus and James or anyone else as bad off as they are, an overdose could be deadly."

"It's not going to be too much," Ethan protested. "I've gone over their files."

"We ought to test it on the rest of the staff first," Will argued.

"They don't have time for that."

"We don't know that for sure. Are you prepared to deal with the result if you're wrong?"

"Are you?" Ethan countered.

John had watched their exchange in silence, but couldn't let it continue. "Enough!" he finally barked, and they both shut up.

Ethan reached for a syringe that was on a table behind him. "This is for me," he told the older man. "I've planned the same dosage for Dr. Magnus." Without a moment of hesitation, he removed the cap, pressed the needle into his arm, and emptied its contents. He couldn't ask anyone else take a risk that he was unwilling to take himself.

John simply nodded. "Go ahead. Treat them."

* * *

><p>Once James and Helen had gotten their treatments, Ashley and John headed back out to finish checking over the rest of the residents. Henry and the Big Guy soon returned to the infirmary to get their shots. The Big Guy hadn't really been feeling symptoms, but they didn't want to take any chances.<p>

"How bad off are we looking?" Will asked Henry when he came in.

"More than half of our list is showing symptoms."

He sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Henry looked up as Ethan approached him with a syringe. "This isn't a one size fits all kind of thing, right?" he asked.

The doctor shook his head. "No, it's not."

"And you know that's my size?"

"It's as good as we're going to get." Henry just raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I took your physiology into account."

"Just out of curiosity, what happens if you're wrong?" Without answering, Ethan pushed the needle into his arm. "Hey, wait a second – "

"I'm not wrong, but even if I was, it would be better than the alternative," he assured his reluctant patient.

* * *

><p>It was very late at night (or early in the morning) before things began to settle down. All of the residents that were the worst off were the first to get treated. So far they had managed to escape this without any more fatalities. Ethan was working on the last few doses in the infirmary when Ashley brought him a plate of snacks.<p>

"Figured you could use some munchies," she told him as she set it down on an empty table.

"Thank you." He said as he reached for a couple crackers. "How are things going for you?"

"We think we found the source of all this."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm. Started tearing Sandy's unit apart and found broken pipes under the floor. Waste was getting into the water system."

"Lovely."

"Oh yeah. So at least that means the Sydney Sanctuary should be safe. They're off lockdown. And now we get to start the oh-so-fun task of checking over every inch of this place's infrastructure."

"I'm sure your mum is going to LOVE hearing that when she wakes up."

"Definitely," Ashley replied as she stole one of the strawberries off of his plate. "You know, I'm proud of you."

"For what?"

"You could have caved to what Will wanted. Everyone here has been doing this longer than you have. I know being the outsider isn't easy."

"I'm getting used to being the new guy, the outsider," he told her with a smile. "I kind of like it."

Ashley laughed. "You knew you were right and you stuck to it. And you saved my brother and mother's lives. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that."

"I'm thanking you for being you in general… For being with me – "

"Hey, you definitely don't have to thank me for that."

"And for dealing with this crazy bunch that I call my family."

Ethan leaned over and kissed her. "I'd do almost anything for you."

"Just almost?"

He nodded and held up a syringe. "I'm not going in and giving 'Rex' his shot all by myself."

Ashley laughed; the reptilian abnormal was one of the most intimidating in the Sanctuary. She had given it the nickname due to its physical similarities to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. "Okay, okay. I'll go get a tranq gun."

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

After finally finishing with all of the treatments, Ashley and Ethan headed upstairs to get some sleep. He didn't protest when she pulled him behind her into her bedroom; after the day that they'd had, it was important to be with people they cared about, to reassure themselves that they were still there. Both were too exhausted to even pull back the blankets on her bed; they fell asleep on top of the covers with their clothes on.

Ashley had hoped that she'd be able to sleep until at least noon, but she woke up only a couple hours after sunrise and was feeling surprisingly alert. She turned on her side and spent several minutes just watching Ethan sleep. Their relationship was definitely uncharted territory for her, but she liked that. There were several unknowns about the coming weeks and months, but she wasn't worried about it. Things would work out somehow if it was what they wanted. With him, she felt safe and normal in ways that she hadn't experienced since before the Cabal.

While growing up, Ashley had wondered if she would spend her life alone, just her and her mother. It had never seemed like an option to not be a part of the mysterious world she'd been born into, but finding someone else to share it had seemed like an impossible goal. She knew what her mother had gone through for the century before her birth: a handful of lovers that either couldn't deal or ended up dead. Ashley had assumed she would share the same fate, especially after gaining her mother's longevity. Now… the future was uncertain, but hopefully it wouldn't be lonely.

Ashley carefully got up and changed into casual track pants and a t-shirt. She pulled on a jacket before leaving her bedroom and heading toward the staircase that led to the roof. From there, she had a view of both Old and New Cities as they came to life for the day. She'd spent almost her entire life living there, and her experiences had prepared her for a lot. It definitely wouldn't be easy to leave, but she knew it was the right choice.

* * *

><p>As Helen opened her eyes, she wasn't initially sure where she was. Light streamed in from windows behind her, and there was a familiar beeping noise… She suddenly recognized her surroundings as being the Sanctuary's infirmary. A figure was sitting in the chair beside her bed and she weakly reached for his hand.<p>

"John," she whispered.

The feeling of her fingers twining through his roused him from sleep. He quickly sat up. "Helen? Are you all right?"

She wasn't quite certain of the answer to that yet. "What happened?"

"You were very ill. You nearly died. Almost everyone in the house was infected by parasites."

"How?"

"I'll let your staff fill you in on that once you're feeling better."

"Is everyone all right? Were you and the children sick?"

"Ashley and I were fine. James… he's going to be. You should get some more rest. There will be plenty of time to talk later."

Helen frowned slightly. She would have expected her husband to be far more affectionate, if she truly had been as ill as he said. He was the true romantic between the two of them. But he hadn't kissed her and could barely bring his eyes to meet hers. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you acting this way?"

John sighed. "How much do you remember from before you lost consciousness?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure… I think I saw Ashley, and you. We were talking… what did I say?"

"That's not important – "

"John. What did I say?"

"We were discussing our family… our history."

More bits and pieces started to come back. She could recall yelling, even if the specific words eluded her. "I'm sorry if I said anything hurtful. I don't remember it, but I didn't mean it."

He smiled wistfully. "Oh, I think you did."

"John…"

"There are certain things we've never talked about. Couldn't talk about. Under normal circumstances, I don't think you ever would have said what you did, but you still thought it. Felt it. I know that you are still angry with me, and I can't blame you for that."

"No, John – " He held a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet.

"Please. It's all right to admit it. But there's nothing I can do now to change what I did then. I know that, and you know that. So if we're honestly going to have a future with our family, then… well, the past doesn't have to be forgotten, but it does have to be let go." John leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Come to me when you can do that," he told her before walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>By the time Ashley came back downstairs, Ethan was awake and they were both hungry. They headed down to the kitchen and pulled together some fruit and cereal for breakfast.<p>

"You are a six-year-old in a grown woman's body," he teased as she watched her pour a sugary, chocolaty cereal into her bowl.

Ashley burst out laughing. "What!"

"There's no nutritional value in that whatsoever!"

She held up her banana. "That's what this is for," she countered with a smile. He laughed.

"You guys could wake the dead in here," Henry commented as he walked into the kitchen. It instantly got noticeably quieter; Ashley was intently focused on her breakfast and didn't say a word to him. Henry took a deep breath and turned to Ethan. "Hey, um, I just wanted to thank you. For everything you did here."

The doctor shook his head. "No worries, mate."

Henry glanced over at Ashley. "You know you've got a pretty amazing girl, right?"

Ethan smiled at her. "Oh, I know."

"You'd better take care of her. She's like my sister. And she knows she can always tell me anything…though she doesn't have to." Ashley's gaze met his, and they shared a little smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him.

"I'm going to do everything I can to keep her happy," Ethan promised the other man.

"Good. So, did you finish off the box, or is there more cereal?" Henry asked Ashley. Her smile grew as she handed him the box. He poured himself a bowl and added milk before heading back out of the room. "See you guys later," he called over his shoulder.

Ashley caught his arm before he could go. "Thank you," she whispered.

Henry shrugged. "No problem."

When he left the kitchen, he found that the Big Guy was waiting for him out in the hallway. "Did you fix things with Ashley?" he asked.

Henry nodded. "Yeah, I think we're good now."

"Good." And before the Sasquatch continued on his way, he gave the HAP a loving smack upside the head.

"Ow!"

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for their feedback!**


	10. Chapter 10

Helen wasn't supposed to be up and about yet, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She planned to be back in her office by the end of the day, but for now, her main concern was her son. James had been set up on another bed in the infirmary; she carefully made her way over to him on weakened legs and sat with him.

"Hi, luv. You're probably just as ready as I am to get out of here, hmm?" James just smiled and cuddled his stuffed dog closer. "Did your sister bring that for you?" He nodded. "She takes very good care of you, doesn't she?"

"Where Daddy?" James asked.

Helen forced a smile. "You'll see him later. I'm sure he'll come by to visit you." Whatever was going on between the two of them, she knew that John would never take it out on their son.

"Mama sad?" James wondered.

"No, darling, I'm okay. You should get some more rest."

"Story?"

"What story do you want to hear?"

"G'night Moon." Helen practically had the book memorized by now; it was one of James' favorites. She could recite the entire thing with only a couple mistakes – which her son was quick to point out. By the time she'd gotten to the last line, his eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out into that of sleep. Helen gently brushed his hair back and pulled the blanket over him. Every day, he looked more and more like his father, a realization that she found she was glad of.

"There are lots of very complicated things about our family that I don't want you to have to worry about for many years," she whispered to him. "Maybe part of me was still angry with your Daddy. I love the life that we have, but… looking at you and your sister reminds me of how different things could have been. The life we could have had… the dreams that I lost. But I think I do have to let that go. Because he's right; there's nothing we can do to change it. And I can't let our past cost us our future."

The door opened, and Ethan came into the infirmary. He stopped short when he saw that she was out of bed, but didn't comment. "Hello, Dr. Magnus. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you."

"You'll likely feel even better with some more rest – " he started, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine."

Ethan smiled to himself as he sat at the computer in the corner. "I guess it's true that doctors always make the worst patients."

"Indeed," Helen agreed.

They remained in silence for a few minutes, with Ethan updating files and Helen watching her son sleep. She finally spoke up. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Mmm?"

"How did you stumble into this world?" Ethan slowly turned around in his chair. "You're human, and neither of your parents have any connection to the Sanctuary Network. I assume your interest in medicine came from your father, but Caleb never told me how you ended up on the Sydney Sanctuary's doorstep."

"Yeah, I think my dad had decided that I was going to be the next doctor in the family by the time I'd learned to walk. Never saw him happier than the day I got accepted to the University of Melbourne's medical school. I wanted to be a surgeon, just like him. And then one summer, on a trip to the beach, I came across something I'd never seen before. A creature, washed up on the sand, tangled in a fisherman's net."

"_Chelonia_ _Regiorum_," Helen realized. "I remember; five of them washed up in New South Wales four years ago."

He nodded. "The police said it was just a sea turtle, but I knew they were lying. Didn't look like any sea turtle I could find in an encyclopedia. I kept looking for more information, even as everyone kept telling me to give it up. And eventually, I got far more than I'd bargained for."

"You could have stopped there."

Ethan shook his head. "No, I couldn't. This world is so much bigger and more fantastic than I'd ever considered. How could I walk away from that?"

Helen smiled. "I believe we've all asked ourselves that question. Thank you." It was good to know that there would always be others to carry on the mission she and her father had started.

He nodded. "I should probably go check in on a few patients. I know you won't do it, but I feel obligated to tell you that you really ought to get some more rest."

"I'll consider it."

* * *

><p>Ashley looked up from the suitcase that she was packing when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. John was standing there. "When are you leaving?" he asked.<p>

"We'll see how things go around here tonight; make sure that Mom is back in action."

He nodded. "Speaking of, have you talked to your mother?"

Ashley shook her head. "Not recently."

"Do you think that you should?"

"Yeah, probably."

John smiled as he sat on his daughter's bed. "I think that should be 'definitely'."

Ashley sighed. "She knows I'm going back."

"I don't think your last conversation is how you want to leave things."

"I don't want to have to talk about our last conversation."

"Why?"

"I keep telling myself that she didn't really mean it, but… I guess I'm afraid that she did. That she does sometimes think of me as a mistake that she has to always watch out for."

"Ashley, you know that's not true."

"Really?"

"The simple fact that you exist is proof that your mother could never think of you as a mistake, proof of how very much she wanted you in her life."

"I doubt I've ended up anything like what she'd hoped for."

John chuckled. "No, Ashley, you're more. More than either of us could have imagined."

She looked away. "I think I'd rather keep wondering than find out that you're wrong."

He sighed. He knew that both of the Magnus women could be immovably stubborn when they wanted to be. "You should talk to her before you go."

Ashley didn't say anything for a long moment. "I think the time away will be a good thing, right?" she asked.

"That's up to you."

"I feel like I need to prove to myself… and to everyone else that I can be self-sufficient."

"No one's ever doubted that."

"After everything that's happened in the past few years… I just want to know I can take care of myself on my own, without everyone always being there. You know?"

John nodded. "I can understand that desire. I'll wish you luck, and remind you not to forget where home is."

Ashley smiled. "I won't. Thanks, Dad."

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

**A/N: One more chapter!**


	11. Epilogue

Ashley and Ethan waited another day, and then made arrangements to fly back to Sydney. The Big Guy had offered to drive them to the airport, and several other residents wandered out to the garage to say goodbye while they loaded their bags into the car. Will, Henry, and John were among the last.

"What are all the warnings fathers are supposed to give their children?" John asked Ashley.

She laughed. "Um, be safe, don't forget to call, don't take candy from strangers…"

"Yes, all of that," he agreed.

They all turned at the sound of the door to the house closing. Helen came out, carrying James. "Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" she asked her daughter.

Ashley shook her head. "I was gonna come back inside." She took her little brother and hugged him close. "Hey, Little Prince, I'll miss you. Be a good boy, okay?"

"Miss you," he echoed and gave her a kiss on the nose. She handed him off to John, who followed Will and Henry back inside.

Helen and Ashley just stared at each other for a long moment before the older woman stepped forward and hugged her daughter. "I love you, Ashley. Be careful."

"I will… Are you mad at me for doing this?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. You're not the little girl that used to come into my lab with skinned knees. And I think you were right. Maybe more time away will be good for you – so long as it's not permanent."

"I don't want it to be. We haven't really thought that far ahead yet."

"In that case, may I offer a suggestion?" She nodded. "Ethan, once your current research project is over, you'll have a place on the staff here waiting for you."

Ashley looked up in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"I am. Our resident population has grown in the last few years. Having another physician at the facility will allow me more time for the truly important things in my life – like my family."

Ethan smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Magnus."

She nodded. "Please, call me Helen."

* * *

><p>Once the car had left, Helen went back inside and headed up to the living quarters. John was in James' bedroom, working on a puzzle with the little boy. She smiled as she watched them together from the doorway. "Hello," she quietly made her presence known.<p>

John looked up. "Hi."

"Ashley's gone."

"I figured… Are you all right?"

She shrugged. "I think so."

"Look, Mama!" James exclaimed, gesturing toward his wooden puzzle board. He'd gotten all of the pieces – shaped like animals – into the correct locations.

Helen knelt beside him and kissed her son's forehead. "Very good, darling." She then turned to her husband and, after sharing a long look, she kissed him as well.

"Helen…"

"I love you. That's never changed, not even when I wished that it would. Letting go probably won't happen in one day, but I am trying. Our future means more to me than our past."

He smiled slightly and his lips met hers once more. "I love you, as well."

They both looked down as James wriggled his way between them. John laughed as Helen pulled the toddler onto her lap. "Were you feeling left out?" she asked him with a smile.

"We love you, too, James," John promised.

Helen nodded and held him a little closer. "Always and forever. Even if you run off to the other side of the world like your sister."

John twined his fingers through hers. "She'll be back."

"I know… Nothing stays the same for very long, hmm?"

"No. But that's what makes our lives interesting."

* * *

><p>FIN.<p>

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been following along, and especially to those who have sent feedback. I've got ideas for a fourth story; now I just need the time to write it. ;-) As always, suggestions are welcome.**


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